verdict

verdict — noun

1. The official decision made by a jury in a court of law about whether a person on

1.nounB2
Definition

The official decision made by a jury in a court of law about whether a person on trial is guilty or not guilty.

Example

After two days of discussion, the jury finally reached a unanimous verdict.

reach a [adjective] verdict

The foreperson stood up and read the guilty verdict as the defendant lowered his head.

guilty verdict / not-guilty verdict

Common collocations
  • guilty verdict
  • not-guilty verdict
  • unanimous verdict
  • reach a verdict
  • deliver a verdict
  • verdict of guilty
Synonyms
  • judgment

    broader term — includes decisions by a judge, not just a jury

  • ruling

    an official decision by a judge or authority, often about a procedural matter

  • finding

    the conclusion of an investigation or inquiry, not limited to court settings

Grammar Patterns

return a verdict

reach a verdict

verdict of [guilty/not guilty]

Usage Note

In court proceedings, a verdict is the jury's decision on guilt or innocence. The judge's later decision about punishment is called a sentence, not a verdict.

Common Mistakes

The judge gave a guilty verdict.
The jury returned a guilty verdict.
In a jury trial, the jury returns or delivers the verdict; the judge announces the sentence.

2. A personal opinion or judgment that someone gives about something after thinking

2.nounB2
Definition

A personal opinion or judgment that someone gives about something after thinking about it carefully.

Example

What is your verdict on the new sushi place near the station?

verdict on [topic]

After reading the novel, Takeshi's verdict was that it deserved a wider audience.

verdict + that-clause

Common collocations
  • final verdict
  • personal verdict
  • expert verdict
  • give a verdict on
  • verdict on
Synonyms
  • opinion

    more general and less formal than verdict; used in everyday conversation

  • assessment

    more systematic and evaluative, often with criteria

  • judgment

    can refer to a personal evaluation or a formal decision

Grammar Patterns

give a verdict on [topic]

verdict + that-clause

Common Mistakes

What is your verdict for this movie?
What is your verdict on this movie?
When asking someone's opinion, use 'on', not 'for', after 'verdict'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Verdict, judgment, ruling, finding, and decision all refer to a conclusion reached after consideration, but their contexts differ. Verdict is specific to a jury's decision in a court trial about guilt or innocence. Judgment is broader — it can be a court's final decision (by a judge, not only a jury) or a personal opinion. Ruling is an official decision by a judge or authority, often about a procedural point rather than guilt. Finding is the conclusion of an investigation, official inquiry, or research study. Decision is the most general word, used in any context where a choice is made. For example, a jury returns a verdict of not guilty, a judge issues a ruling on whether evidence is admissible, a committee publishes its findings on the cause of an accident, and you make a decision about which university to attend.

judgment ↗ruling ↗finding ↗decision ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • reach a verdict
  • deliver a verdict
  • return a verdict
  • announce a verdict

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchEnglish

Verdict comes from Latin 'veredictum', which combines 'verus' (true) and 'dictum' (something said), so the original meaning was 'a true declaration'. It entered English through Anglo-French legal language in the 1400s and has been used for jury decisions in court ever since.